LANSING — The Michigan Supreme Court shouldn’t waste its time taking up an appeal over one of the state’s controversial right-to-work laws, Republican Attorney General Bill Schuette wrote in a court filing this week.

Schuette opposes the state employee unions’ effort to appeal a Court of Appeals ruling in August, which found Michigan’s public-sector right-to-work law does apply to the state’s 35,000 unionized workers.

The appeals court also found then that the Michigan Legislature was within its authority in December when it enacted right-to-work laws governing public- and private-sector workers. The laws make it illegal to require workers to contribute money to a union as a condition of their employment.

The coalition of unions has argued that, under Michigan’s Constitution, only the Civil Service Commission has the authority to set conditions of employment for state workers, not lawmakers.

The unions put in a request last month for the Supreme Court to consider their appeal. It’s unclear when the high court will make a decision on that request.

In a court filing this week opposing that request, Schuette argues “there’s no need for (the Supreme) Court’s review because, as the Court of Appeals held, the laws prescribing the power of the legislature and the Civil Service Commission in this area are so clear, as is (the right-to-work law’s) legality.”

Schuette wrote that “it doesn’t really matter” whether the public-sector right-to-work law involves conditions of employment; the law — also known as Public Act 349 — should stand.

If the act does involve conditions of employment, then the Legislature is within its authority to enact laws that the Civil Service Commission regulates. If it does not involve conditions of employment, then it’s not within the commission’s purview at all, Schuette wrote.

“Either way, there is nothing wrong with the legislature’s enactment of P.A. 349 other than (the unions’) dislike for the law’s substantive effect,” Schuette wrote.

The five unions in the coalition represent 90% of the state’s unionized workforce. They are the UAW Local 6000, Michigan Corrections Organization, Michigan State Employees Association, Michigan Public Employees and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 25.